Last Sunday Adrian and I participated in our first Try Events Boundary Bay Half Marathon.   We chose this run over the RUNVAN.®  Fall  Classic because of the location,  we  wanted  to try something new.

In addition to the location, we chose this run because THERE ARE NO HILLS.  After this summer’s extended European vacation our training time was compressed so we wanted to make it easier on ourselves.

Read on for my likes and dislikes.

This event has a distance for all fitness levels, with a Full Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K.  For any marathoners reading, it should be noted that it’s the last Boston qualifier of the season.

The route itself is along a beautiful ocean side gravel trail.   All distances are an outback design, with a completely flat route the only challenge will be whatever Mother Nature throws at you. We were fortunate enough that the sun came out at the start making for a beautiful dry morning, our only challenge being the 37 km/h wind gusts.

LIKES:

• Daylight savings– Being on the 4th we got an extra hour of sleep and since the race didn’t start till 8:30 we were well rested and ready to go.
• Route– Despite the wind the flat course made the distance feel more manageable than some of the other races I have participated in.
• Value—  The $55 registration fee includes a souvenir shirt and finishing medal.

DISLIKES:

• No Bathrooms- Although it didn’t end up being a problem for me personally. I was anxious about the fact that the 5, 10, and half distances didn’t have washroom on the route. They had bathrooms at the start and finish with lines.  Thankfully the lines weren’t too bad.
• First Aid- Again it wasn’t a problem for me, and hopefully for none of the other participants. There didn’t appear to be any first-aid stations on route, and I didn’t see any volunteers patrolling the course. Just the start and finish line First Aid tent.

WOULD I DO the Boundary Bay half Marathon Again? 

Maybe.  Adrian and I had fun doing it and didn’t take things too seriously. I would be interested in trying again under my normal training schedule to see if I could achieve a PB.  Given the value I think it’s a great option for anyone looking to qualify for Boston.

How about you?  Interested in giving it a try?  Have another race to suggest?  Don’t be shy, hit me up in the comments below! 😉